Tabs

Monday, December 11, 2017

As the Champions League approaches the knockout stages UEFA has drawn the ties for the round of 16, with French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain facing holders Real Madrid. Having just collected his latest Ballon d'Or last week in Paris, Ronaldo looks to stop Neymar and PSG's European title aspirations early in the tournament. Other notable matches from the draw feature Antonio Conte's Chelsea drawn against FC Barcelona, along with group-topping Tottenham Hotspur drawn against Juventus FC.

The Europa League round of 32 draw also took place, with German giants Borussia Dortmund drawn against Atlanta, who in their past two Europa League matches defeated Everton 5-1 and Olympique Lyonnais 1-0. Arsenal have been served up Swedish side Ostersund, while Olympique Lyonnais will have to overcome Villarreal in order to come closer to playing the Europa League final at the Stade de Lyon.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Despite Juventus' 2-1 loss this weekend against title-runners Fiorentina the bianconeri have announced a change in logo which embodies an overall shift towards creating the Juventus brand. With a minimalist and simplified design, the new logo replaces Juve's traditional crest as the club begins to define its new "visual identity", as the club's announcement describes it.

The new logo matches a general trend of sports teams looking to simplify their logos/crests in order to have a more approachable and marketable brand icon. Much more digitally friendly than their previous logo, some fans see the change as pressured by Adidas in order to build a more modern and approachable brand identity for future merchandising and marketing growth.

This change in the club's logo was accompanied by a spectacular event in Milan which had a variety of Juventus "superfans" like Giorgio Moroder. The event and messaging surrounding this change ultimately highlight that Juventus is seeking to expand its fan and customer base. From the announcement post on the club's website, their new logo and visual identity is "targeting both Bianconeri fans all over the world and those with less of an interest in football."

It will be interesting to see if other clubs decide to follow suit and redesign their traditional logos for a sleeker and more merchandising-friendly style. While the crest looks a bit out of place on the jersey, the club will be looking to make the transition seamless as a variety of fans have already voiced their displeasure over the change.

In the meantime, Juventus have bigger concerns after their 2-1 loss this weekend to Fiorentina as Roma has cut the point difference by three. We'll see if the change in logo and visual identity will hep Allegri's side next week as they take on Lazio.